Colorectal Cancer Rates Rising in Young Adults

A recent study provided some surprising information about colon cancer and rectal cancer rates in the United States. The study, in which researchers analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program—a registry of cancer diagnoses in the United States—found that young people—millennials and Gen Xers—have a much higher risk for colorectal cancer than older adults. In fact, people born in 1990 have double the colon cancer risk and quadruple the rectal cancer risk of those born in 1950.

The analysis included data from all colon and rectal cancer cases in adults over the age of 20 from 1974 to 2013 in nine U.S. regions. In all, nearly 500,000 cases were involved in the study. From the mid-1980s to 2013, colorectal cancer rates in adults 55 years of age and older declined, but during that same period, rates of colorectal cancer increased in younger adults.

Overweight/obesity, a high intake of red meat and alcohol, low levels of physical activity and dietary fiber intake, and other lifestyle factors may be contributing to higher rates of colorectal cancer in young people. It’s important to take steps to reverse this alarming trend.

An Early Spring May Be Bad for Health

Much of the U.S. has been experiencing unseasonably warm weather for the past few weeks. In fact, in some areas, rising temperatures are three weeks or more ahead of schedule. Globally, 2016 was the hottest year on record—for the third consecutive year.

So what do higher-than-normal temperatures and an early spring mean for health and wellness? While spring-like weather might mean better moods for people who don’t like the cold and those who enjoy getting outside, it does come with some drawbacks—and ramifications.

Warmer temperatures mean a longer allergy season for many who suffer from seasonal allergies. Changes in climate also may increase the spread of diseases transmitted by insects and ticks, including Zika virus, eastern equine encephalitis, Lyme disease, and others. An early spring also may increase flooding risk from a combination of melting winter snow and rain—which can then increase the risk for waterborne diseases.

New Migraine Drugs Stop Pain Before It Starts

A new class of drugs that blocks calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)—a molecule in the body that spikes during a migraine attack—is being tested in clinical trials. The goal of this new medication—which is administered via an injection once a month—is to prevent migraines and migraine symptoms even before they start.

Testing results for the drugs are expected later in 2017 or in early 2018, and if approved by the U.S. Food Administration (FDA), the medicine could become available in 2018. So far, a large number of patients take the new drugs—but not all—have experienced a reduction in the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches.

If approved, this new migraine treatment could be life-changing for the more than 35 million people in the U.S. who suffer from migraines.